The man accused of killing ten people in a mass shooting at a Buffalo, NY supermarket called Hasidic Jews "deplorable" and referenced New Jersey communities with growing Jewish populations in a 180-page manifesto officials said he posted online.

Payton Gendron, 18, appeared in court Saturday hours after the shooting at Tops Friendly Market. He was arranged on first-degree murder charges and ordered detained without bail.

Gendron's purported manifesto was published Thursday evening, NBC News reported. The Associated Press reported that federal law enforcement is still investigating to confirm its authenticity.

The Lakewood Scoop first reported that the diatribe complained of "Hasidic activities" in Lakewood and Toms River. The neighboring towns in Ocean County have rapidly growing Hasidic Jewish populations.

A section from the manifesto officials said Payton Gendron published online. (The Lakewood Scoop)
(The Lakewood Scoop)
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Lakewood was the target of a series of anti-Semitic attacks last month, according to prosecutors. Dion Marsh, 27, faces attempted murder, terrorism, and federal hate crime charges for the rampage that left three victims hospitalized with serious injuries.

Marsh referred to Hasidic Jews as "the real devils," according to a criminal complaint.

Similarly, the manifesto officials said was posted by Gendron called the activities of Hasidic Jews "deplorable." It laments "Hasidic community growth and its impact" in New Jersey and New York.

Governor Phil Murphy posted a statement on Twitter condemning the shooting and calling for an end to gun violence.

"We’re praying for the victims and those impacted by the horrific shooting in Buffalo," Murphy said. "We must come together to end our nation's gun violence epidemic."

Authorities said of the thirteen people shot at the Buffalo supermarket, eleven were Black and two were white. Ten of the victims were pronounced dead, including a security guard who tried to intervene.

Aaron Salter, a retired Black police officer, worked as a security guard at the supermarket. WKBW reported that law enforcement officials said Salter fired at Gendron to stop the attack but the shooter's body armor protected him.

Buffalo Supermarket Shooting
AP
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Gendron is accused of researching local demographics to choose an area with a high concentration of Black residents. Law enforcement officials said he drove more than three hours from his home in Conklin, New York to carry out the attack.

“This was pure evil,” Erie County sheriff John Garcia said Saturday. “It was straight-up a racially motivated hate crime from somebody outside of our community.”

The AP also reported that the shooter had previously threatened to shoot up his high school. A law enforcement official told the AP that Gendron was sent for mental health treatment in June 2021 before he could carry out the attack on Susquehanna High School.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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Changes in NJ county populations since 2020

Census Bureau estimates of the change in county populations since the 2020 Census on April 1, 2020 also provide a glimpse into COVID-era trends, as that's roughly the same time the pandemic began. The list below sorts New Jersey's 21 counties by their total change between the Census and the July 1, 2021 estimate.

NJ Diners that are open 24/7

New Jersey high school graduation rates

The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%.

The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements.

Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy.

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